George Smithson
George Smithson was a United States Air Force pilot who participated in a spring 1955 Cold War simulation training exercise from Carswell Air Force Base, during which he and other F-86 aviators escorted B-47 and B-52 bombers. Smithson confirmed observing the same unidentified craft witnessed by Robert Willingham during a post-incident debrief, providing corroboration for at least the initial UAP sighting portion of Willingham's account.
| Role | USAF pilot; Willingham case corroborating witness |
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The 1955 Sighting
On the spring 1955 mission, the squadron received intelligence by radio that fast-moving unidentified signatures had been detected by Distant Early Warning (DEW) radar installations in Canada, moving south toward Texas. The pilot of a B-47 radioed about an unknown aircraft detected on radar approaching from the northwest. Willingham described seeing a brightly lit object "like a star" approaching at an estimated 2,000 mph — roughly four times the F-86's maximum speed of 685 mph. Smithson and other pilots confirmed seeing the craft in the post-incident debrief.
The object executed a sharp 90-degree turn heading southwest toward the Mexican border, then was observed emitting "a lot of sparks" while tilting at approximately 45 degrees before falling out of view, suggesting structural damage from the abrupt maneuver. Willingham subsequently received authorization to investigate the estimated crash site near Langtry, Texas.